A few days ago, I was at Brooklyn Botanic in the heat and watched as a bumblebee made its way round the Horsemint (Monarda punctata) in the Herb Garden, stopping at each individual flower and methodically moving on to the next. Later, I thought how it was the perfect opportunity to try out the camcorder on my new phone and I'd missed it. But I got lucky at my own garden yesterday, only not with a bee this time, but with a wasp. A new one for me. The ID I'm gonna go with is Monobia quadridens, a Mason Wasp in the same family as Yellowjackets, Hornets and Paper wasps. It's usually seen in open habitats with flowers (in the Eastern and Southern United States), which sounds just about right for the community garden at Floyd Bennett. Because I took the video I noticed the white markings on the head, which I missed just watching it, so I might even be right in calling this wasp a male.
And so here it is below, my first video and first attempt with the phone's camcorder. It isn't National Geographic and I didn't quite get the video to sync properly, but I think my bug-loving nephew will dig it.
That punctata is something else. I'd plant it again and again just for the pollinator show, but I'd also get those amazing flowers.
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2 comments:
Karen, did you notice the little black beetle in the foreground that scurries into the flower as the wasp comes around the front?
Ciao Franco, Yeah. I can only handle one ID at a time though. Thanks for the sweet little blast in the AC yesterday looking for the Butter and Eggs, and the tomato. Don't forget Joe wants to do some canning with you this year, italian-style.
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